Christmas Reads

It's the most wonderful time of the year, don't you agree? No one sings that song about summer for a reason, people. I am on my author Christmas break, which means reading is what I am prioritizing. So I've wracked my brain to come up with some good Christmas reads for you :)

I just realized how few Christmasy novels I've read ... Oh well. Here goes.

Where Treetops Glisten by Cara Putman, Sarah Sundin, and Tricia Goyer. I read this one over spring break, I think. It has three Christmasy stories with characters that connect to one another and is well-written.

The Nutcracker by a gazillion different people. :P We own the one by Susan Jeffers. You just can't have Christmas without nutcrackers as my 6-year-old brother will remind you. It's on my bucket list to go to the ballet sometime :D 

Farmer Boy by Laura Ingalls Wilder. I don't know why this one in particular popped into my head. I think most of the Little House books have references to holidays and snow but this one has food and more food. I love it :)

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. It has the word "Christmas" in the title. If you haven't read this one, this is the year! It's short, I promise.

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis. This one has an abundance of snow as well as some great redemptive themes. I like this one around Christmas :)

Five Little Peppers and How They Grew by Margaret Sidney. I read this book when I was young and made my mom read it aloud to all of us last year. I love all their little celebrations in this family because they have close to nothing and, but are so loving and always doing little things for each other. It reminds me of a child's version of:

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. I adore this book, and yes, it's long. But it has a lot about convictions, family life, and selflessness which makes it 100x more beautiful than just the plot.

Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg. Before Tom Hanks and Josh Hutcherson, this was a beautifully illustrated book which I happen to like.

How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss. This was actually a book before it was a movie as well and is good *nod* It's Dr. Suess. Just go read it.

My conclusion from that list is that there needs to be more Christmas in books!! Make it your new writing goal: include immense holiday celebrations. I have the Martins celebrate Thanksgiving in Martin Hospitality, but Christmas is a little more sparse as you will see ;) Still, you don't ignore holidays in books! That's one thing I really appreciate about the Harry Potter and Little House books: holidays. We all adore them in real life, so why not include them?

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What is one of your favorite Christmas reads? Have you ever written about a holiday?